The Sorcerer's Apprentice
by authorlouise
Summary: Balthazar Blake has been strong for a thousand years without his love, Veronica Gorloisen. How long will it be before he cracks?
1. 1-1 The Fiery Rage

** Balthazar**

I was in a fiery rage. He talked of a living hell but he knew nothing. Nothing of what I had to live through without her. I threw the grimhold at him.

"Turn it round and look at it" I said angrily.

He saw what I had to live with every day.

"Balthazar, I'm" Dave began to say.

"Go take it; I don't want to ever see you again" I demanded.

I launched a spell at him and he only just managed to cast a vacuum spell as I launched fireball after fireball. I had to cause him pain. I could see the fear in his eyes when he ran away from me. Plasma bolts and fireballs were coming out of my hands, destroying everything in sight. After he ran away I was crying, drowning in my eternal sorrow. I cursed the name of Merlin, why could he not have saved her? Why could he not have killed Morgana? Spared me, centuries of pain without her. I sank to my knees but then I picked up the grimhold. I was suddenly angry with myself, I could've damaged it. Veronica was breathtaking even on the doll. I gasped as Veronica appeared before me.

"Stay strong Balthazar" she implored.

"I can't Veronica, not without you" I pleaded, wanting her to stay.

She disappeared.

"Nooooo" I yelled, my fingers clutched the space where she had been.


	2. 1-2 Veronica Appears Again

** Dave**

I saw Veronica, Balthazar's love.

"He needs you Dave, he needs you" she said.

"I can't go back. He would just kill me." I said fearfully.

"No, he needs you to console him, help him. He has been strong for a thousand years without me but his strength is failing. He needs to be strong to fight Horvath" Veronica said.

"He can't live without you Veronica. It's eating him inside knowing he trapped you and can never release you. Is there not way for you to be free without releasing Morgana?" I asked.

"The only way is for someone to take my place, Dave, to sacrifice there self for me. They would have to be locked in the grimhold forever until the Prime Merlinean defeats Morgana once and for all.

"Balthazar would, for you he would do anything" I said, knowing this to be true.

"I wouldn't let him. I couldn't bear it knowing I could never see him again. It was bad enough in the grimhold but at least I knew he would be safe. He tried to take my place as soon as Morgana began to kill me but I forced him not to" Veronica replied.

I could see Veronica struggling to keep out of the grimhold.

I cannot keep this up much longer. Dave, help him in this form I cannot." Veronica said sadly.

"I will" I said.

As soon as I said it Veronica instantly faded. I had been tasked with this duty and I had to for fill it. Veronica had been locked in the grimhold for centuries, the least I could do was carry out her wish. Knowing this wouldn't be easy I slunked back to my lab where Balthazar would be.


	3. 1-3 The Merlin Circle

** Balthazar**

He came back.

"Dave Stuttler, the boy who abandoned magic. Come to gloat how brilliant normal life, oh and your girlfriend Becky is then. One more step and you're dead, Dave Stutler. Your normal life will be at an end" I said wickedly.

"Veronica wouldn't want this Balthazar" Dave logically said.

His words hit me like a sharp knife and I keeled over.

"How do you know what Veronica would have wanted? She is...she is as good as dead" I said and I started to cry.

Tears welled up and I curled up on the ground. I started to cast a fireball but it dissipated before I could do anything with it. I cried harder at the temporary loss of my magic. I was too emotional to clear my mind which prevented my use of magic.

Dave approached me knowing that I couldn't do anything to stop him.

"Go, just go!" I shouted at him.

Ignoring my cries he held my back and sat me up.

"How do you cast a Merlin circle?" Dave asked me.

"It doesn't matter, you don't have the power to cast one anyway" I answered, I didn't care really.

"Just tell me" Dave said, angrily.

It surprised me that he wanted to know this but I told him anyway.

"Use your ring and will it to channel good energy and carve the circle and it's symbols" I told him.

Dave opened his Encantus and turned it to the page on the Merlin circle. I could see Dave was concentrating on his ring but I knew he couldn't do it. If he couldn't control a simple cleaning spell he certainly wouldn't be able to cast a Merlin circle.

I gasped in amazement. Dave had carved a circle and green energy erupted from it. He carved the symbols of Merlinean magic and the circle was complete.

"You are the Prime Merlinean. If you can cast a circle with as little experience of magic as you have, you must be." I said to Dave.

"I can't be, Balthazar. If I can't even cast a fireball without my ring on. How can I be the Prime Merlinean?" He said in denial.

I was still distraught from seeing Veronica. I didn't care that he was the Prime Merlinean, to me he was just a boy.

"Balthazar, get in the circle. It should help you, it says here that sorcerers draw power from the Merlin circle" Dave said to me.

I already knew this to be true but I couldn't bring myself to move. My strength was gone from my lack of willpower. Dave, foolish as he was tried to drag me in but alas I was too heavy. I felt a sense of weightlessness and I looked down. Dave was levitating me. Anger surged in me.

"Put me down this instant" I shouted.

My anger shocked him and his concentration wavered. I felt my body plummet to the ground as Dave's spell faltered. I gave a cry of anguish as my body collided with the ground.

"Balthazar, are you alright?" Dave said concerned.

"Circle" I murmured.

Dave grabbed hold of me and pushed me into the circle. My face grimaced in pain but as soon as I was in the circle, Merlin's power revitalised me. I gave a sigh of relief as my body began to heal itself. Soon I was back to full strength. I fired a plasma bolt. My magic was back and so was I.

I said with a wicked smile "Now Dave Stuttler, you train for real."


	4. 2-1 Training for Real

**Dave**

I was tired and hurt all over. Balthazar's training was really hard-core. I wondered how I got through these past few hours. I am glad he is back though. The angry version of Balthazar was scary, he nearly killed me. I'd never seen such fury in Balthazar before. I couldn't stand seeing Balthazar crying. He looked so vulnerable. Seeing such a strong person reduced to a sobbing wreck was just wrong.

I was battered, bruised and singed. Balthazar cast plasma bolts and fireballs at me. I had done better than I had in the last 3 weeks though. Seems like my Merlinean heritage needs an element of danger to work.

_I stepped into the Merlin circle. This would be nothing like the training before. I knew Balthazar had been going easy on me, too easy. _

_"Imagine this was a real combat situation, that you were fighting for your life" Balthazar said._

_"Are you sure that's a good idea Balthazar?" I said uncertainly._

_"Just do it" Balthazar said impatiently. _

_I was worried about hurting Balthazar but then if he could fight Horvath then I was sure he could defend against me. I powered up a weak plasma bolt and threw it at him._

_"Is that all you've got? Prime Merlinean, you're Prime nothing" Balthazar said mockingly._

_Anger burst in me. He reminded me of those bullies in high school but I would show him. I threw everything I had at him. Plasma bolts, fireballs, levitating objects at him and even manipulating air at him. Some of my attacks even got through. _

_"Good, you're improving" Balthazar praised._

_"I am" I said confidently._

_I was starting to believe in myself. I might actually be able to do this Prime Merlinean thing._

_"Now again" Balthazar ordered._

_I sighed and it started again._


	5. 2-2 Returning the Favour

** Balthazar**

I could see that the intense training took a lot out of Dave. He looked half-dead as he staggered around. No, I shouldn't heal him, Merlin didn't heal me. Dave helped me though when I hit rock-bottom. I decided just this once to heal him.

"Dave, come here" I shouted across the room.

He was worse than I thought when I saw how slow he was going. Despite the obvious pain and tiredness he didn't complain.

"Lie down, it works better this way" I told him.

"What, Balthazar what are you doing" Dave asked.

"Something that will help" I replied cryptically.

I used my magic to spread a warm, healing sensation in Dave. It would heal his aches and pains. It would also help him regain some of the energy he lost.

"I'm not much of a healer, Dave" I said.

Healing Dave reminded me of Veronica. She had healed me many a time.

"What's wrong?" asked Dave.

"Veronica was a great healer" I said.

This had to stop. I couldn't cry every time something reminded me of her, not in front of Dave. It was bad enough the first time, when I lost control and nearly killed him. It was like the day after she was locked in the grimhold where everything reminded me of her.

"There, all done" I said cheerfully, so Dave wouldn't say something.

"Thanks Balthazar" Dave replied.

He got up and stretched his limbs. I could see he was much better.

"Take it easy" I stressed to him.

"What about training?" Dave asked.

"Take the day off and go see Becky. I've got something I need to get anyway" I mysteriously replied.

Dave's face lit up at the prospect of spending time with Becky.

"Thanks Balthazar" Dave cheered and then he left.

My love, not much longer to wait, with that in mind I waited until Dave was away and set off in my car.


End file.
